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Symphony for the City of the Dead
- Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
- Narrated by: M. T. Anderson
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
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Symphony for the City of the Dead
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Summary
In September 1941, Adolf Hitler's Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history - almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943-1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets and - eventually - one another to stay alive.
Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his fellow citizens - the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory.
This is the true story of a city under siege: the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power - and layered meaning - of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award-winning author M. T. Anderson.
Critic reviews
YALSA Nonfiction finalist, 2016
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What listeners say about Symphony for the City of the Dead
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicholas
- 25-04-19
Beautifully told voyage into the darkest place.
His music is exceptional, so is the story behind one of his greatest works. The depth of the historical perspective I have learnt from this book was unexpected - this is powerful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris N.
- 27-07-20
Terrifying and inspiring.
Easier to read than others of genre.Longer musical quotes needed. Five more words make fifteen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fraser Waterfield
- 12-11-19
An Engaging,Horrifying and Uplifting Story
This is a wonderful audio book. It vividly depicts Shostakovich's precarious position in Stalinist Russia and describes the horror of the Great Terror and the siege of Leningrad. In addition, we get clips from Shostakovich's works to illustrate the points being made. This book is gripping - I cannot recommend this enough.
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